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June 20th, 2013

Hoping in part to push along sales of NBA jerseys, more teams will wear uniforms with sleeves next season.

An NBA source told ESPN.com that as many as five teams will wear the short-sleeve jerseys as an alternate jersey for as much as 12 games during the season.

“We are interested in doing more short-sleeve jerseys when it makes sense,” said Patrik Nilsson, president of adidas North America.

Nilsson said Wednesday that adidas is motivated to get more fans wearing jerseys while also innovating the game jersey for the players. The company pays roughly $35 million a year to be the official apparel provider of the league through the 2016-17 season.

There was a pause, followed by a “no comment” and a chuckle from the 22-year-old center, who’s entering his fourth season in the NBA.

Cousins, who usually has a lot to say, is back in Sacramento this week, hosting the DeMarcus Cousins Elite Skills Camp for youths that began Wednesday and ends Friday.

The smile on his face and the rolling of his eyes showed how hard it is for Cousins to play the silent role. But he has to.

His agent, Dan Fegan, has instructed Cousins not to speak on anything relating to the Kings team, management or ownership.

Cousins is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and Fegan wants a maximum deal for his client with the threat of a trade demand looming if a deal isn’t reached.

So even with all the kind words thrown his way, Cousins is keeping quiet about the Kings. Cousins did post a congratulatory Twitter message to the city of Sacramento and Mayor Kevin Johnson once it became official the Kings would not relocate to Seattle.

He is basketball’s Jack Del Rio, a man who thrived at playing defense and now comes alive coaching it, using deft methods to make men into maulers.

Could Lionel Hollins turn the Nuggets into defensive stalwarts as defensive coordinator Del Rio did the Broncos?

That’s part of the allure, part of why Nuggets management interviewed Hollins on Wednesday for the team’s head coaching job.

The 59-year-old Hollins, recently relieved of his duties as the Memphis Grizzlies coach, could end up swapping jobs with George Karl, the fired Nuggets coach who is a candidate to succeed Hollins in Memphis.

Hollins is coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals. In Denver, Hollins is in competition with Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who had a second interview with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, according to media reports. The next few days could clear up the picture for numerous NBA teams looking for a head coach.

No matter what happens Thursday night, LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs have already won NBA titles and secured a place in history. Now is their opportunity to elevate it.

The truly memorable teams won the hard way, and that will be the case for the one celebrating at center court this time. It’s either a Heat repeat, possible only after James led Miami back from what seemed certain elimination in the closing seconds of Game 6, or the Spurs shaking off as gut-wrenching a loss as a team can have to become just the fourth club to win a Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road.

“I want to go down as one of the greatest. I want our team to go down as one of the greatest teams. And we have an opportunity to do that,” James said.